The New York Yankees‘ pitching rotation has been significantly hampered by injuries this season. Presently, they are missing Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, and Frankie Montas.
Additionally, Luis Severino was absent for the entire first month and more. Both Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt are starting to find their rhythm, but the team has been forced to make adjustments on the fly, with Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez taking the mound at various points throughout the season.
Although he isn’t quite prepared yet, Clayton Beeter may emerge as a potential option for the Yankees’ rotation in August or September. Acquired in the Joey Gallo trade with the Dodgers last year, the right-handed pitcher has demonstrated his potential as a prospect and future contributor to the major leagues since his arrival in New York.
Beeter’s 2023 season has been stellar. In his most recent minor league game on Sunday, he pitched five scoreless innings and achieved six strikeouts.
The Yankees prospect has had an incredible season in Double-A
Pitching for the Double-A Somerset Patriots, Beeter has achieved a 2.13 ERA over 55 innings, with 29 walks and an impressive tally of 69 strikeouts. His ability to induce swings and misses clearly suggests his potential to evolve into a reliable number two or three starter for the Yankees one day, despite some ongoing issues with walks.
Prior to the season, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked Beeter as the Yankees’ 17th-best prospect. Given his performance, it is safe to assume he is now at least within the top 15 if not the top 10.
The prospect evaluator suggested that Beeter’s stuff is top-notch, but his command clearly lags behind.
“A riding mid-90s fastball pairs with a vertical low-80s curveball and a two-planed mid-80s slider to create a modern power pitcher’s mix, just with zero feel for location,” he wrote.
Having been in Double-A since 2021, it is reasonable to anticipate the Yankees promoting Beeter to Triple-A Scranton in the near future to truly evaluate his command. If it doesn’t develop sufficiently for him to start, he could become a dominant multi-inning reliever as early as this season. Beeter is definitely one to watch.